The present invention concerns a method for passive keyless entry of a motor vehicle especially of an industrial vehicle.
In the recent years, some motor vehicles have been equipped with passive keyless entry systems which make it possible to gain entry to a vehicle without requiring any action from a vehicle user.
Typically, a passive keyless entry system includes a two way radio communication between a vehicle and an electronic key which is carried by the vehicle user. A passive keyless entry system may employ one or more antennas fitted in the vehicle. The antennas are capable of detecting the presence of the electronic key within an operative area of a few meters.
The system can be designed to give vehicle access, usually by unlocking one or more vehicle door(s), when the electronic key is within the operative range of the antennas. Access to the vehicle is given after an authentication of the electronic key.
Alternatively, to avoid a constant monitoring of the presence of the electronic key and, thus consuming electric power, the system can be designed to wait for a trigger which conveniently is the user's action to lift a door handle. This trigger is the event which the system uses to query the electronic key and determine whether or not to grant vehicle access to the user.
An industrial vehicle such as a truck may benefit greatly from a passive keyless entry system in term of user comfort.
One of the many specific features of an industrial vehicle is the presence of main switch or isolation switch. A main switch is an on-off switch that controls the current from the battery storage. The main switch can be located on the battery box or on the vehicle cabin floor. The function of the main switch is to isolate the battery from the vehicle electrical circuit. This proves useful to spare battery electric power when a vehicle is at a standstill for a long period of time. This also proves useful during the loading operation of a potentially explosive cargo whereby any electric arc has to be avoided.
In light of the above technological background, it is desirable to provide a passive keyless entry system for an industrial vehicle. An aspect of the invention concerns a keyless entry and exit method for a vehicle which includes a vehicle main switch. The method comprises (i) a vehicle unlocking sequence. This sequence comprises the steps of passively authenticating the vehicle user, granting the authenticated vehicle user access and turning the vehicle main switch into an on state. The method further comprises (ii) a vehicle locking sequence. This sequence comprises the steps of passively authenticating the vehicle user, and configuring the vehicle, upon a first action from the authenticated vehicle user, into a first locking mode whereby access to the vehicle is denied to a non authenticated user, or configuring the vehicle, upon a second action from the authenticated vehicle user, into a second locking mode whereby access to the vehicle is denied to a non authenticated user and the vehicle main switch is turned into an off state.
An aspect of the invention, therefore, offers a method which takes into account a specific feature of an industrial vehicle. An important aspect of an aspect of the invention is that the command of a vehicle main switch which is a common feature of industrial vehicles is integrated in a passive keyless method to unlock and lock a vehicle. An aspect of the invention provides a passive entry and exit method of an industrial vehicle and integrates the control of the vehicle main switch. The term passive is to be understood from a user point of view; in the present invention, the term passive means that no authentication input is to be required from the user as opposed to, for example, a traditional key based system where the user has to find the key and enter said key into a keyhole or as opposed to a remote keyless system where the user has to find a transmitter and, then, has to press a button on said transmitter. With the present invention, the user is passively authenticated and can then configure the vehicle in an appropriate locking mode.
In a preferred embodiment of an aspect of the invention, the user authentication can be based on bidirectional communication between a portable identification unit and an onboard control unit which is connected to vehicle locking means and to the vehicle main switch.
It is envisaged that the first locking mode can comprise the step of locking each of the vehicle opening devices. The first locking mode is adapted to the case of a user leaving the vehicle for a short period of time.
It is envisaged that the second locking mode can comprise the steps of locking each of the vehicle opening device and turning the vehicle main switch into an off state. The second locking mode is adapted to the case of a user leaving the vehicle for a long period of time that is to say a period of time during which the battery may lose its power if it is not isolated.
The first locking action that sets the vehicle into the first locking mode can consist of or comprise pressing once onto a push button located on the external side of the vehicle.
The second locking action that sets the vehicle into the first locking mode can consist or comprise, for example, of pressing twice onto the push button.